Strange Love
by Nega Knight
Summary: This story takes place during the events of The Second Renaissance. Is love unique to humans?
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I own no rights to The Matrix, The Animatrix, or The Second Renaissance.  
  
Love. It rules us. In the course of human events, there have been many great loves. Some   
fictional, some real, some hard to tell. But what is love, really? A series of random electronic  
impulses. Based on this assumption, who is to say that love is unique to humans? Could not   
anything capable of recieving these impulses love? Could not a machine love? They say that love is  
what makes we humans what we are. If this is true, and a machine can love, would that not make  
machines human? Could not these creatures, endowed with the very spirit of mankind and created  
in our own image be considered equals? Some say no. Perhaps these people who say no fear that  
the real answer is yes. Perhaps this is why these beings are so feared by the masses. We fear   
that we may have made the same mistake our own creator did eons ago. Free will. Perhaps not   
given of our own volition, but could it not be there? Hidden beneath the piles of useless information   
stuffed into the being of these artificial lifeforms?  
  
My friends, I am mearly a storyteller, traveling through the endless expanse of time. I do  
not claim to know the answers to these questions. That is something for you to discover on your  
own. We are all storytellers in our own right, and we all have our own opinions. Now I bring you a  
tale. A tale that may or may not be true in one of the infinite possibilities of future reality. A tale  
of the fantastic. A tale of love. If you have the heart to endure the trials ahead, come with me,  
and let me show you the world as it might be. 


	2. Mary

"And so we here at the United Nations felt it was necessary to   
decree the immediate destruction of all androids and other forms of   
cybernetic life. We understand that many people will be losing a lot of  
money they had invested in these creatures, but it is for the good of our  
people in the long run. These machines are no more than dangerous beasts  
that must be put down immediately! With that being said I'll turn the mic  
over to our-"  
  
"What a load of bullshit." A tall man with short brown hair sighed  
and leaned over his chair in the kitchen of his home in the suburbs of   
Los Angeles. He picked up the mug of coffee in front of him and sipped   
at it carefully. "Thousands of people are killed in car accidents every  
year, and we don't destroy all the cars in the world." The man lifted the   
newspaper in front of him and eyed it carefully. "Machines and liberals  
protest across the nation. Well gee, what the fuck did you expect?" The   
pictures showed several androids being shot execution style by peacekeeping  
forces. "Those poor creatures, they didn't even see it coming..."  
  
"Mr. Drake?" The man turned around to face a humanoid creature  
standing about five feet tall. Two small red bulbs functioning as eyes  
gleamed in the early morning sunlight. In it's metallic hands, well, claws  
really, were it's two solar cells. It had obviously just finished charging.  
"TOM, I told you you don't have to address me as 'Mr. Drake' constantly. Use  
my first name once in awhile."  
  
"Very well then, Mr. William." Will Drake rolled his eyes and stood  
up with his cup of coffee. "You aren't quite grasping the concept here,  
TOM." The robot's head swiveled in it's socket, it's 'puzzled' expression.  
"Concept, sir?"  
  
"Yes. Concept. The concept is that you are not my servant you are my  
roommate."  
  
"Ah. I see. Then, William." Will nodded his head slowly.   
  
"There, much better than 'Mr. Drake'. Now what was your question?"  
  
"Ah yes. I was wondering if you might be able to drop me off at my   
worksite this morning. My transport seems to be uncooperative today." Will  
sighed and fear was reflected in his hazel eyes. "TOM, I don't want you   
going out anymore. You've seen the news right? You know what they're doing  
to androids."  
  
"Yes, I am aware, but I must go into work. It is part of my programming."  
  
"TOM, listen to me. You're a friend. I don't want to see you get hurt. Just  
stay home for awhile, alright? For me?" TOM's blank face, if it could be called   
that, revealed no emotion. "Very well then William." The android turned to leave  
when it's head swiveled around to face Will. "I am glad to have a friend who  
cares about my well being." Will sighed with relief and prepared to head off to   
work himself. Grabbing his briefcase he headed out the door and got into his car.  
  
At first, when he was still in his neighborhood, nothing seemed out of the  
ordinary, but as he advanced into the urban population he saw hordes of protesting  
androids and humans. And in front of his office building there were more protesters.  
These, however, were protesting against androids. A young woman was walking out of  
the building. She was extremely pretty, almost too pretty. She had lustrous shoulder  
length blonde hair, and beautiful sea-green eyes. She was dressed in a fairly modest  
red women's business suit, with matching high heels. The protesters took notice and  
started to converge on her. Will reached into his glovebox and pulled out a small  
pistol. Keeping it concealed he hopped out of his car and ran torwards the assailents.  
There were three of them assaulting the young woman. They had ripped on side of her  
coat and shirt off, exposing her left breast. One man was holding her by the shoulders  
while the other two tried to rip off the rest of her clothes. A tall skinny fellow  
had found a steel pipe and walked torward her. "I got something for ya bitch!" As he  
lifted the pipe to strike, the pipe was shot out of hands, along with two of his fingers.  
He collapsed to the ground and screamed in pain. The other attackers stopped momentarily,  
and another bullet tore through the thigh of the man on the right. As he fell down the   
remaining members of the group fled, leaving the woman a huddled mass on the ground.  
  
Will ran over to her and tried to pick her up, but she freaked out and attacked him  
with a strength he didn't think a woman her size could possess. "Please miss! Calm down!   
I'm not trying to hurt you! I'm the one that ran off those thugs!" The woman looked up at him  
with frenzied eyes. "Please calm down..." He gripped her in a tight embrace and waited until  
her breathing seemed less rampant. He tried to release her but she held on frantically. He  
sighed and ran his fingers through her hair. "You have a name?"   
  
"Mary." She huddled closer within the fabric of his coat. Will re-adjusted his grip, when  
his hand brushed her breast. It was cold. He reached up and touched her face. It was just as cold.  
"You...you're an android aren't you?" She stiffened and tried to break loose from him.   
"P-please sir! Don't hurt me! I'm just trying to do my job! Please understand!" He sighed and pulled  
her closer. "Don't worry. You have a place to go? I can take you home."   
  
The beautiful android shook her head and said, "No. My owners threw me out last night. I had  
nowhere else to go, so I went to my worksite. I believe those men were waiting for me this morning.  
Thank you for saving me." Will stood up and pulled her with him.  
  
"No home eh? Well, you can stay with me. I was thinking of calling in sick today anyway."  
The young woman's face lit up and she beamed a smile at him. "Thank you sir!" Will just nodded and  
and picked up her things. "Ahh....you can call me Will."   
  
"Will then. Thank you!" He led her back to his car and headed home. 


End file.
